“Of course. Probably talking to your brother. She about shit herself when I told her he was in town.”
“Another starstruck female to add to the pile. Mike’s ego will be impossible to live with.”
Larry nodded toward the pack of females surrounding his brother. “They’ll get used to him before he leaves.”
“I doubt that.”
Zach dropped the bag with the net away from where the food was being served. “Wanna grab a couple of kids to set this up?”
Larry tossed the ball in the air and walked away as he called a few of the teenage kids over to do the busy work.
Zach stepped over to the buffet table and snagged a handful of chips. He kissed his mother on the cheek and tickled Susie under her chin. “Hey everyone.”
He tried to act unaffected when Karen smiled at him, but his insides went to mush.
“There you are. We were beginning to wonder if you forgot.” Rena was opening up large plastic containers and setting them on the table with the others.
“I couldn’t find the volleyball net.”
“Likely excuse. You just didn’t want to get stuck on the grill.”
Zach glanced over and noticed his father over the flame. Joe stood by him and Uncle Clyde beyond them both. “Looks like that’s all taken care of.”
Susie made grabbing motions with her fingers and reached to jump into his arms.
“Done with me already?” Karen said as she handed the baby over.
“She loves her Uncle Zach,” Rena said with pride.
“Picking the good-looking boys over the girls is just smart,” Karen said with a grin.
Zach caught Karen’s smile and handed his niece a cheesy chip. “I think it has more to do with what I let her eat, and less to do with my looks,” he said with a wink.
Karen blushed.
Rena grabbed the chip out of her daughter’s hand. “She’ll be wearing that all day if you give it to her.”
Susie’s little lip puffed out.
“Spoilsport.”
He grabbed another one when Rena turned away and moved to the grills to greet the men. Susie smacked her lips against the messy chip when he gave it to her.
“Nice of you to join us,” Joe said. “Show up late and hold the baby so no one will put you to work.” He waved a spatula in Zach’s direction. “I have your number, buddy.”
“Why don’t you drag Mike over here?”
“Naw, we’ll make him do the dishes.”
That got them all laughing.
Zach moved away and handed Susie off to Aunt Belle, who sat among the older members of the Gardner clan. He kissed an aunt, hugged a grandmother, and moved toward his brother to help drag him away from his adoring fans.
“C’mon bro. Time to see if all those crazy moves you do on the big screen are smoke and mirrors or if your body is still in shape.”
Zach ignored the protests of the women surrounding Mike as he removed him.
“Thanks,” Mike whispered in his ear as they both walked over to where the teens were setting up the net.
Zach patted him on the back. “I always have your back.” Yet even as the words left his mouth, his gaze reached for a set of eyes he felt on his back.
He turned and caught Karen looking toward them.
Damn!
The teams were divided by the usual pecking order: age, family obligation, and skill. Not exactly in that order. Zach and Mike started on the same team along with Joe and three more guys, which left the jocks from their days in school. Larry, Ryder, and Keith were the star athletes who’d stuck in Hilton, or at some point returned. They stacked their team with old football friends.
With six men on each team, the ball made it through the air and it was game on.
After a couple of sets, Zach knew his brother’s acting wasn’t softening his body in the least.
The crowd grew around the game, some picking sides while others just cheered. They’d been playing a good thirty minutes before Mike pulled their team into a huddle. “Larry is totally dogging. If you can aim toward him, we have this game.”
Zach served the ball to have it volley over the net twice before Mike took the opportunity to spike it in Larry’s direction. Even Zach was shocked to see it back on their side of the net. Zach set the ball and Mike hit it toward Larry again for the game point.
The match was close and everyone shook hands. They tossed the ball to the younger kids, who took time picking teams to make their own match.
“Show-off.” Rena punched Zach’s shoulder with a smile.
Karen rolled her eyes but the grin on her face matched the smile in her eyes. “Men!”
His mom brought the first tray of cooked steaks from the grill and placed it on the table.
Zach and Mike stood back as the women hustled around the table, uncovering dishes and getting ready for the onslaught of takers.
His dad brought over another tray and smiled at Zach and Mike before returning to the grill.
Zach glanced over at his brother. A soft smile accompanied Mike’s gaze as he watched their father walk away.
“He’s hard on your ass because he misses you.”
Mike patted him on the back before he grabbed a plate, filled it with food, and then allowed one of his old friends to drag him off across the park.
Zach piled a plate full of food and sighed over the perfection of the steak. Joe took a seat beside him and soon Rena followed. There were people everywhere. Rena waved Karen over to sit beside them. Zach scooted over so Karen could sit and tried to ignore her closeness.
“Where did Mike run off?” Joe asked.
Rena motioned away from their table. “Keith and Larry have his attention.”
“Friends from school?” Karen asked.
“You’ve not heard about them?”
Karen shook her head as she bit into her corn on the cob. Zach watched her lips wrap around the corn and had to force his gaze away. Lucky-ass corn.
“Larry and Keith were his best friends their senior year. Busted his ass when he took the lead in the high school play.”
“Until the chicks started to swarm,” Joe told Karen. “Then they changed their tune.”
Karen chuckled and kept eating.
“I can’t believe Mike hasn’t told you about them.”
Karen swallowed her lucky corn and wiped her mouth. “High school was a long time ago.”
“Don’t you keep up with any of your high school friends?” Rena asked Karen.
A quick shake of Karen’s head gave her answer. “Not really.”
“That’s too bad. High school friends are the ones who knew you when. The kids that keep you grounded.”